UK to
Russia by train in 48 hours...

Of course, doesn't everyone go there by train?
It's easy, safe & comfortable to travel from London to Moscow by
train in just over 48 hours. Just take an afternoon Eurostar to Paris and board the Paris-Moscow
Express, this runs once a week all year round. It's the civilised
way to reach Russia! Or travel more cheaply via Berlin,
Warsaw or Kiev, it's all explained on this page with times, fares & how to buy
tickets...

Train
times, fares & tickets...

On this page is a
step-by-step guide to planning, booking & making a train journey
from the UK to Russia:

Day 2: Travel from Berlin to
Warsaw by EuroCity train,
leaving
Berlin
Hbf at 06:37 Mondays-Saturdays and arriving
Warsaw Centralna at
12:55. The Berlin-Warsaw
EuroCity trains are comfortable air-conditioned
trains with a trolley refreshment service and a
restaurant car serving drinks, snacks and full meals. Treat yourself to a
meal in the restaurant: Three courses, a beer and a coffee only come to
around 11.

Day 2: Travel from Warsaw to Moscow on the
sleeper train Polonez, leaving
Warsaw Centralna at
16:05 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays and arriving Moscow Belorussky station next day
at 12:11 (late March to late October) or 13:11 (late October to late March) (day
3 from London). Check exact times online as they may vary, the Polonez is
train 10.

The Polonez
uses Russian sleeping-cars on all departures since 2015.
These are
impressive brand-new Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 2 & 4-berth compartments
built in 2014,
see
photos of this type of sleeper here &
see panorama photo inside one of these modern sleepers. Eastbound,
these 4-bed sleepers only exist on the Polish reservations system as 2nd class
4-berth, so if you want dual or single occupancy you have to buy up multiple
berths in one compartment. Westbound there's no problem, as the Russian
reservations system is configured book these compartments as 1st class single,
1st class double or 2nd class 4-berth. A Russian restaurant car is
attached between Brest (on the Polish/Belarus border) & Moscow.

Russian track gauge is 5', but
most of Europe (including the UK) is 4' 8½", so at Brest on the Belarus frontier
the sleeping-cars are shunted into a shed, each car is separated and jacked up
to have its bogies (wheelsets) changed. You remain on board while this is done,
quite an experience. Once in Russia, the scenery is rolling hills, birch
tree forests, and villages of small wooden houses. Approaching Moscow, you
may catch a glimpse of the plaques on the station building marked '1812' and
'1942' as the train passes through the small station of historic Borodino...
Map of Moscow showing
Belorussky station.

Moscow ► London

Day 1:
Travel from Moscow to Warsaw overnight by the sleeper
train Polonez, leaving Moscow Belorussky station on Mondays, Wednesdays &
Fridays at 14:51 (late March to late October) or 15:51 (late October to late March) and arriving
Warsaw Centralna at 07:55 next morning (day 2). Check exact times online, they may
vary - the Polonez is train 9.

Since December 2015 the Russians
have been operating all departures of the Polonez
using impressive
new Austrian-built sleeping-cars with 4-berth compartments,
see panorama photo inside one of these new sleepers. Eastbound, these
4-bed sleepers only exist on the Polish reservations system as 2nd class
4-berth, so if you want dual or single occupancy you have to buy up multiple
berths in one compartment. Westbound there's no problem, as the Russian
reservations system is configured book these compartments as 1st class single,
1st class double or 2nd class 4-berth. A Russian restaurant car is
attached between Moscow & Brest (on the Belarus/Poland border).

The
Warsaw-Berlin EuroCity
trainsare comfortable air-conditioned trains with a
trolley refreshment service and a restaurant car serving
drinks, snacks and full meals. Treat yourself to a
meal in the restaurant: Three courses, a beer and
a coffee only come to around 11.

b) Perhaps the easiest
option is to order tickets
online from reliable Polish
ticketing agency Polrail at
http://booking.polrail.com
with tickets collected in Warsaw or (at extra charge) shipped to any address
worldwide.

How to buy tickets by phone...

You can buy tickets just by
picking up the phone, with either...

International Rail on 0844
248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday.
Overseas callers call +44 844 2482483. International Rail are equipped
with both the French and German rail ticketing systems, so can offer the best
prices all the trains between London and Prague. They charge a £10 booking
fee for bookings under £100, £20 for £100-£300, £30 above £300. In many
cases tickets can be emailed to you as e-tickets, so there's no postage fee or
delay.

Deutsche
Bahn's UK office (www.bahn.co.uk) on
08718 80 80 66, lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday.
Prices are the same as those charged by European Rail, though
an advantage is that DB don't charge a booking fee,
just a 2% fee for credit cards. However, their staff aren't
always as familiar with more exotic bookings like this, so
make sure you are clear about exactly which trains you want to
book before calling.

If putting the trip
together yourself seems too complicated (even with the booking
forms and advice on this page),
www.railbookers.co.uk
is an experienced train travel specialist which offers a compete custom-made
travel service with all your rail tickets booked and hotels arranged at stops
along the way. You simply tell them where you want to go and where you'd
like to stop off on the way, and they will do the rest. They can advise
you on the best trains, routes & hotels too. They get very positive
reviews, and look after their customers very well.

Step 1, London to Berlin by
Eurostar & high-speed ICE...

It's easy to travel by train
from London to Berlin in one comfortable day, taking a morning
Eurostar
to Brussels, changing onto an ICE3 high-speed
train to Cologne - Watch the video
- and
then onto a luxurious ICE2 high-speed train to Berlin.
Pride of the German Railways, ICE2s travel at up to 280km/h (175 mph)
and ICE3s up to 300km/h
(186 mph).
The ICE2s feature both a cafe-bar and restaurant serving
proper sit-down meals. I recommend the weissbier!

The
bistro-restaurant car is staffed by Polish
train catering company Wars. Treat yourself to a meal and kill a couple of
hours over a beer and some food in the restaurant... An excellent sausage
soup, a main course of schnitzel, potato and salad, all served on proper china,
a beer and coffee all come to only around 10. You must pay in cash, not
credit card, but both euros and zlotys are accepted.

The Polonez now uses modern Austrian-built air-conditioned sleeping-cars
owned by Russian Railways, with
compartments which can be used as either 1st class 2-berth with two lower berths
or 2nd class 4-berth with all four berths in use. There are toilets and a
nice hot shower at the end of the corridor.
See panorama photo inside one of the new Russian sleepers.

All aboard for Russia...

The Polonez rumbles
slowly across the Vistula and out of Warsaw...
Courtesy of David Smith.

A Belarus diesel takes
over at the Polish border station of Terespol and hurries the train into
Brest station (above right), the Belarus border point. The actual
border is the bridge over the River Bug, between the two stations.
Photos courtesy of David Smith.

Welcome to Moscow!
Next morning you arrive at Moscow Belorussia Station.
Photos courtesy of David Smith.

UK agencies can
easily book sleepers to Russia using the computer reservation system
which covers trains starting in
Germany. However, berths on trains starting in Russia
are held on the Russian reservation system, so UK agencies
may have difficulty booking an inbound
sleeper from Russia back to western Europe. The German
reservation computer sometimes has an allocation of
berths for the inbound Moscow to Cologne or Berlin sleepers - If you are
booking through Deutsche Bahn's UK office, ask the agent to
try using the train number '11MJ' for the Moscow-Cologne train
(whatever train number appears on their timetable enquiry
screen) as this has been reported to work. But if all
else fails and your UK agency is unable to obtain the inbound
Moscow-Cologne sleeper for you, simply ask them to book
you (1) the return Eurostar+Thalys ticket from London to Cologne and
back, (2) a one way sleeper from Cologne to Moscow.
Then book the return sleeper from Moscow to Cologne using a local
Russian agency such as
RealRussia,
Svezhy
Veter, Waytorussia.net or
G&R
International. Alternatively, you can book westbound
Moscow-Warsaw or Moscow-Berlin tickets
using the online
form below, then use
DB's UK
office to book the Warsaw or Berlin to London section.

On
the Paris-Moscow sleeper, the china &
serviette stand are proudly branded Paris-Moscow! Courtesy of
John Delikanakis

Relax on the Paris-Moscow Express...

This option is the most glamorous and comfortable way to reach Russia, it's the
one I'd choose, at least if its weekly schedule suited me.
A direct train run entirely by Russian Railways (RZD) links Paris with Moscow
once a week all year round. It's the safe, comfortable and civilised
way to travel to Moscow, with a restaurant car throughout the journey and the
option of deluxe VIP sleepers with en suite toilet & shower as well as modern
air-conditioned 2 & 4 berth sleepers with washbasin and a nice hot shower at the
end of the corridor.
On the route
map above, this option
takes the route shown in light blue via Paris as far
as Berlin, then the direct route to Moscow shown in dark blue, a
total of 3,483 km or about 2,164 miles from Paris to Moscow,
making it the second longest direct passenger train in Europe - the longest
being another RZD train, their weekly Nice-Moscow Express.
See the Paris-Moscow Express
page for more information.

Berths are sold individually,
prices are for one person in one bed. So if you book (say) one second
class ticket you will travel in a 4-bed sleeper sharing with 3 other
passengers of the same sex. There is no need to pay for sole occupancy
unless you want to!

Step 1, book the Paris-Moscow
Express. There are several ways to
book tickets on this train, each with pros & cons. I recommend
browsing these 5 methods to see which is best for you.Feedback
would be appreciated if you book this train, however you book.

This is a bit fiddly,but it does work as long as it accepts your payment card at the end,
see my tips
for using rzd.ru in English here. It's normally the cheapest way to
buy tickets as there are no added fees or mark-up.

Anyone
from any country can use www.rzd.ru with
print-at-home tickets and prices shown in rubles. It normally accepts overseas
payment cards (it
accepts mine), but is sometimes fussy with non-Russian cards, give it a
try and see if it accepts yours. RZD.ru allegedly won't accept US-issued
credit cards, if your card is rejected simply use Real Russia instead as in
Method 2 below.

On rzd.ru, 2-cl =
2/4 = 2nd class 4-berth = one bed in a shared 4-bed sleeper. 1-cl = 1/2 =
1st class 2-berth = one bed in a shared 2-bed sleeper. 1-cl 1/1 = 1st
class 1-berth = sole occupancy of a 1st class 2-bed sleeper. De Luxe =
VIP sleeper with shower & toilet, which is always sole occupancy whether you
book one person or two. You even get a chance to select a specific
berth or berths.

Method 2, book with Real
Russia: This is easy, in plain English with UK-based after-sales
service and all overseas payment cards accepted no problem. Just
accept that you'll be paying a higher fare as it includes an agency mark-up
over the Russian Railways price.

Method 3:
You can sometimes book the Paris-Moscow train online at
www.loco2.com in plain
English with good UK-based after-sales service and no payment card problems.
If it finds this train, it's the easiest way to book, at close to the
Russian Railways price with no added fees.

Booking tips:
Booking usually opens 90 days before departure, sometimes less. Obviously, make sure you're searching on a day of
the week when the direct train operates. Sleepers 'with shower' means you are selecting
the luxury VIP deluxe sleeper with toilet & shower. Update:
Check fare conditions carefully - do not buy from Loco2 if it says Birthday
fare, unless it's your birthday +/-7 days from departure date.

Method 4: You can
sometimes book this train at the French Railways website
en.oui.sncf
with tickets collected from any French station if your journey starts in Paris,
or sent to address in your home country if it doesn't. Again, if this
doesn't work, try another method.

Custom-made travel
arrangements with hotels...

If putting the trip
together yourself seems too complicated (even with the booking
forms and advice on this page),
www.railbookers.co.uk
is an experienced train tour specialist which offers a compete custom-made
travel service with all your train tickets booked and hotels arranged at stops
along the way. You simply tell them where you want to go and where you'd
like to stop off on the way, and they will do the rest. They can advise
you on the best trains, routes & hotels too. They get very positive
reviews, and look after their customers very well.

Twice a week via Berlin...

Russian Railways introduced a new twice-weekly sleeper
train between Berlin and Moscow in December 2016. Branded
Strizh (Swift) by the Russians, it's a little articulated Spanish Talgo train featuring a restaurant car and
cosy sleepers, some with en suite shower & toilet.
Like the Paris-Moscow option it's a classy option, and faster too: It cuts
4 hours off the journey time as the Talgo has axles which adjust in minutes from
European standard gauge to 5' Russian gauge, without the need for hours in a
shed being jacked up.
If you get any photos of this train inside or out, please let me know!

London ► Moscow

Day 1: Travel
from London St Pancras to
Brussels Midi by
Eurostar, using any
Eurostar you like. The last one leaves London at 19:34, but by all means travel earlier and have a
pleasant afternoon or evening in Brussels.

Day 2: Travel from Berlin to
Moscow by new direct Russian sleeper train, leaving
Berlin Ostbahnhof at 19:24 on Mondays & Saturdays, arriving
at Moscow's Belorussky station next day at either 19:08 (late March to late
October) or 20:08 (late October to late March), which is day 3 from London.
Map of Moscow showing
Kurskiy station.
This train is an articulated Spanish-built Talgo train branded Strizh
(Russian for swift). It has ordinary seats and sleeping-cars
with 2nd class 4-berth compartments, 1st class 1 or 2 berth compartments with
washbasin and deluxe 1 or 2 berth compartments with en suite shower & toilet. There's also a restaurant
& bistro car.
See photo of 2-berth sleeper on this train.

Russian track gauge is 5', but
most of Europe (including the UK) is 4' 8½", so at Brest on the Belarus frontier
the train runs through a gauge-changing shed and the axles automatically adjust
to the new gauge. Once in Russia, the scenery is rolling hills, birch tree
forests, and villages of small wooden houses. Approaching Moscow, you may
glimpse the plaques on the station building marked '1812' and '1942' as the
train passes through the small station of historic Borodino...

Stopover in Berlin? I
have shown the fastest practicable journey here, assuming no stopovers. But by all
means leave London in the morning of day 1 rather than the evening and travel from London to Berlin
in a single day by high-speed train using
any of the options shown in
the London to Berlin section on the Germany page. You'd then have a
wonderful 24h stopover in
fabulous Berlin. Consider the 3-star
Meininger Hotel is ideal as it's right next to
Berlin Hauptbahnhof and a 10-minute walk from the
Reichstag or a 15-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate, it's inexpensive and gets good reviews.
If you want to push the boat out, the famous
Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is right next to the Brandenburg Gate.
Alternatively, you could leave London in the morning or even afternoon of day 1
and travel to Cologne, staying overnight in Cologne
instead of Brussels. There are so many possibilities, what you do is up to
you...

Moscow ► London

Day 1: Travel from Moscow
to Berlin by new direct Russian sleeper train, which runs on Fridays & Sundays.
It leaves Moscow's Belorussky station at 10:55 (from late March until late October) or
11:55 (from late October until late March), arriving Berlin
Ostbahnhof at 07:17 next morning (day 2).
Map of Moscow showing
Kurskiy station.
In Berlin, hop on the frequent S-Bahn from Ostbahnhof to the Hauptbahnhof.

This train
is an articulated Spanish-built Talgo train branded
Strizh (swift). It has ordinary seats and sleeping-cars
with 2nd class 4-berth compartments, 1st class 1 or 2 berth compartments with
washbasin and deluxe 1 or 2 berth compartments with en suite shower & toilet. There's also a restaurant
& bistro car.
See photo of 2-berth sleeper on this train.

Travelling across Russia, the
scenery is rolling hills, birch tree forests, and villages of small wooden
houses. An hour or so out of Moscow you can glimpse the plaques on the
station building marked '1812' and '1942' as the train passes through the small
station of historic Borodino... Russian track gauge is 5', but most of
Europe (including the UK) is 4' 8½", so at Brest on the Polish frontier the
train runs through a gauge-changing shed and the axles automatically adjust to
the European standard gauge.

How much does it cost?

London to Berlin starts at
59 upwards each way in 2nd class or from 109 upwards in 1st class with a Sparpreis London
ticket from Deutsche Bahn (German Railways).

Berlin to Moscow costs around 13,000 rubles (181) with a bed in a 4-berth compartment, 18,000
rubles (251) with a bed in a 1st class 2-bed compartment.

How to buy tickets...

Step 1, book the London to
Berlin leg at bahn.de. To get the special Sparpreis London fare but
with a stopover in Brussels, set up an enquiry from London to Berlin but
click Add intermediate stops and enter Brussels South Stn,
entering an appropriate stopover duration in the hh:mm box, say
10:00. Adjust the departure time from London and the stopover duration until
you get offered the Eurostar you want on day 1 and the 08:25 departure from Brussels
on day 2. It's not rocket science, but may require a bit of trial and error
until it offers you what you want. You
print your own ticket. I have set up some special links below to make
it easier for you...

Step 2, book the Berlin to
Moscow train. You can book it in either direction at the Russian
Railways site www.rzd.ru,
see my advice for using it here.
It's a little fiddly at first, but it usually works, and you'll get a print-at-home ticket.

What's the Berlin-Moscow
Strizh sleeper train like?

The Strizh sleeper
train from Berlin to Moscow, seen here boarding at Berlin Ostbahnhof. It's a Spanish-built articulated
Talgo train - note the relatively small size of each car, with just one
axle between each pair of cars. These axles adjust automatically from
standard European gauge (4' 8½") to Russian 5' gauge at Brest, as the train
passes slowly through a special gauge-changing shed. Photos courtesy of
Stuart Wilks & Jaap van
Ginkel.

London to Amsterdam by Dutch Flyer train &
ferry... By train from
London to the
ferry terminal at Harwich. Walk off the
train into the terminal, get your
boarding card & cabin key at the Stena Line desk & walk
onto the overnight ferry to Hoek van Holland.
See the
Netherlands page...

The ferry alternative, with a free day in Amsterdam...

The fastest option is to take
Eurostar via the Channel Tunnel using one of the options shown above, but there
are some good reasons why you might prefer a ferry alternative. For
example, if there are problems affecting Eurostar or the Channel Tunnel, or if
all the cheap Eurostar tickets have sold out, or if you live in the North of
England, Scotland or East Anglia and want to by-pass London. Or you might
simply prefer a relaxing journey, cruising overnight on the Stena Line
superferry to Hoek van Holland in a luxury en suite cabin with shower, toilet,
satellite TV and free WiFi, have lunch in Amsterdam, then take comfortable
trains to Warsaw and the daily sleeper train
Polonez to Moscow. You can buy special
Dutch Flyer train
& ferry tickets from London or any Abellio Greater
Anglia rail station to Amsterdam using the Harwich-Hoek ferry, complete with a private cabin.

If you live in the North of England or Scotland,
DFDS Seaways run an excellent daily overnight
cruise ferry from Newcastle to IJmuiden (near Amsterdam), and
P&O Ferries run a daily overnight cruise ferry from
Hull to Rotterdam Europoort with bus/train connections to
Amsterdam. So catch the overnight cruise ferry to
Holland, spend a day exploring Amsterdam, then take the train to Russia!

London & Harwich ► Moscow

Day 1, travel
overnight from London to Amsterdam by Dutch Flyer combined train & ferry
service. You leave London Liverpool Street station at 19:32 by train to
Harwich International and board the luxurious overnight Stena Line superferry to
Hoek van Holland, sailing at 23:00 and arriving at Hoek at 08:00 next morning.
All passengers get a comfortable private cabin with shower, toilet & satellite
TV and there's free WiFi in the lounges, bars & restaurants on 9 deck.

On arrival at Hoek van Holland
you walk down the gangway, through passport control and out of the ferry
terminal straight onto the station. Take the temporary rail replacement
bus running every 15-30 minutes (until September 2017) or frequent metro train
(from September onwards) to Schiedam Centrum and change onto for an InterCity
train to Amsterdam Centraal, arriving 10:55.
See the Netherlands page for
full details.

Important update: Buses are replacing trains between Hoek van
Holland & Schiedam Centrum until a date in 2019 while the line is converted to light rail.
New frequent metro trains will run from that date.
More details here.

Coming from the North of England or Scotland? Take a train to either
Hull or Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for where you
live. Transfer to the P&O overnight cruise ferry from Hull
to Rotterdam or the DFDS Seaways cruise ferry from Newcastle
to IJmuiden, the port of Amsterdam. Both ferries have
bars, restaurants & comfortable en suite cabins, arriving
next morning. For details of timetables, fares,
station to port transfer arrangements & how
to buy tickets for travel to Amsterdam via each of these
ferry routes,
see the UK-Netherlands page.

Day 2, afternoon: Take the
15:00
Intercity train from Amsterdam to Berlin Hbf arriving 21:22, with bistro
car. Or take an earlier train and enjoy an evening in Berlin, for example
the 11:00 from Amsterdam arrives 17:22, the 13:00 arrives 19:22. The
Reichstag is only 10 minutes walk from Berlin Hbf, the Brandenburg Gate just 15
minutes walk.

Stay overnight in Berlin.
The 3-star
Menninger Hotel is ideal as it's right next to
Berlin Hauptbahnhof and a 10-minute walk from the
Reichstag, it's inexpensive and gets good reviews.
If you want to push the boat out, try the famous
Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is right next to the
Brandenburg Gate. If you're on a tight budget, see
www.hostelworld.com.

Day 3
early evening: Travel from Warsaw to Moscow on the
sleeper train Polonez, leaving
Warsaw Centralna at
16:05 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays arriving Moscow Belorussky station at
11:45 (March-October) or 12:45 (October-March) (day 4 from London). The train
is operated with comfortable modern Russian sleeping-cars with 1ts class 2-berth
& 2nd class 4-berth compartments with washbasin, there's a shower at the end of
the corridor. A Russian restaurant car is
attached for breakfast between Brest (just across the Belarus
border) and Moscow. Next morning, as the train passes
through the small station of Borodino, look out for the
plaques on the station building marked '1812' and '1942'...
Map of Warsaw showing Centralna & Gdanska stations.
Map of Moscow showing
Belorussky station.

Moscow ► Harwich
& London

Day 1:
Travel from Moscow to Warsaw overnight by the sleeper
train Polonez, leaving Moscow Belorussky station on Mondays, Wednesdays &
Fridays at
14:51 (March-October) or 15:51 (October-March) and arriving
Warsaw Centralna at 07:55 next
morning (day 2). The train has modern Russian sleeping-cars with 1st class
2-bed & 2nd class 4-bed compartments with carpet and
washbasin. There's a shower at the end of the corridor. A Russian restaurant car is attached
between Moscow and Brest (on the Polish border) for
dinner.
Warsaw Centralna
station & city information.

Day 2, take an
Intercity train from Berlin Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal with bistro car.
One leaves at 08:34 arriving 15:00, or you can take the 10:34 arriving 17:00.

Day 3,
evening: Travel from Amsterdam to London overnight by
Dutch Flyer train & ferry. You leave Amsterdam
Centraal around 18:34 by train to Hoek van Holland, changing
in Schiedam Centrum. Sail overnight on the luxury Stena Line
superferry, sailing at 22:00 and arriving in Harwich at
06:30. You sleep in a comfortable private cabin with
shower & toilet, satellite TV and and there's free WiFi in the lounges, bars
& restaurants on 9 deck. A
connecting train will get you to London by around 08:50 (day
4 from Moscow).
Special cheap SailRail tickets are offered on this route
from Amsterdam to London or any Abellio Greater Anglia
rail station, covering both trains and the ferry,
see the Netherlands page
for full details of times, fares and how to buy tickets.

Important update: Buses are replacing trains between Schiedam
Centrum & Hoek van
Holland from 1 April until a date in 2019 while the line is converted to light rail.
New frequent metro trains will run from that date.
More details here.

Heading for
the North of England or Scotland? Transfer
from Amsterdam Centraal by bus or train+bus to the relevant ferry terminal and sail overnight by cruise ferry
either with P&O Ferries from Rotterdam Europoort to Hull or with DFDS
Seaways from IJmuiden (near Amsterdam) to Newcastle, whichever is
most convenient for where you live. Next morning (day 4)
transfer to the station and take a train home. For full
details of train & ferry times, port transfer arrangements and how to buy tickets for each
of these routes,
see the UK-Netherlands page.

The
Polonez sleeper train from Warsaw to Moscow.

The
Polonez train from Warsaw to Moscow uses immaculate modern Russian air-conditioned sleeping-cars (pictured below, see
also panorama photo inside
one of the new Russian sleepers). The Russian cars have
compartments which can be used as 1st class 2-berth or 2nd class 4-berth, shower
& toilets at the end of the corridor.

How much does it cost?

1. London to Amsterdam

by Dutch Flyer...

Dutch Flyer tickets from London to Amsterdam start
at £55 one-way plus the cost of a cabin, (from £34
for a single-berth).
See the
Netherlands page for full details of prices and
cabins. This price covers the British train,
Stena Line ferry and Dutch train between London and
Any Dutch Station.

Step 2, book the ICE train from
Amsterdam to Berlin at the German Railways website
www.bahn.de.
Look for the direct IC train with 0 changes in the search results. Booking
opens 90 days before departure and you print your own ticket.

Step 3, book the Berlin-Warsaw
EuroCity train from Berlin to Warsaw also at
www.bahn.de.
Booking opens 90 days before departure, although westbound trains from Warsaw to
Berlin may open only 60 days before departure.
Simply look for the direct EC (EuroCity) trains with 0
changes in the search results. You print out your own ticket.

Step 4,
the Polonez from Warsaw to Moscow cannot be booked online, so book by
phone. Calling either German Railways' UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines
open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee). For journeys back from Russia,
read this note about
booking westbound trains from Moscow. Another option for booking the
Warsaw to Moscow Polonez is to
contact reliable Polish train booking agency
www.polrail.com.

London to Moscow avoiding
Belarus...

If you want to avoid Belarus to
escape the bureaucracy & cost of a Belarus transit visa, the cheapest and
easiest way to do this is to go south of Belarus through Ukraine rather than
north of Belarus via the Baltic states. EU & UK citizens no longer
need a visa for Ukraine and the trains work much better this way than via the
disjointed rail networks through the Baltic States. in spite of the current
tension between Russia & Ukraine, the trains are running normally between Kiev &
Moscow and foreigners are unlikely to have any problems travelling this way.

The complete journey from London
to Moscow takes 3 nights this way, assuming you don't
want to stop off anywhere for longer, as opposed to just 2
nights on the direct route via Belarus, so although you save the
cost of a Belarus transit visa it takes longer. Going north of Belarus
via Vilnius & Riga
generally means an even longer 4 night journey, with yet more changes of
train and at least one, possibly two nights in a hotel, although by all means do
this if you want to see the Baltic capitals on the way to Russia.

This route needs to be booked
partly or completely by phone, as the Warsaw-Kiev train cannot be booked online
anywhere. However, it's easy to stop off in Kiev this way, and I'll
explain who to call to book this route. There seem to be no problems
travelling this route if you are neither Russian nor Ukrainian, contrary to what
you might expect given tensions between Russia & Ukraine.

Alternatively, you might consider the cheaper but slightly longer London-Kiev
journey via Brussels and Prague, which can all be booked online,
see details on the London to Ukraine page.
With comfortable trains, an evening in Brussels and dinner in Prague, it's worth
considering.

Day 2, take an overnight sleeper train from Kiev to Moscow. There are
several night trains and times vary by date, but for example there's usually one leaving Kiev
at 20:33 and arriving in Moscow Kievskaya station next morning
at 09:48 (day 4 from London).
2-berth and 4-berth sleepers available. Check times for your date using
www.bahn.de/en or
www.poezda.net.
Incidentally, there's also a
direct train from Kiev to St Petersburg, but this passes through
a small corner of Belarus, requiring a Belarus visa and so defeating the object
of the exercise...

Moscow ► London

Day 1, travel from Moscow to Kiev by overnight train, the best
train leaves Moscow Kievskaya station at 19:35 arriving Kiev at
06:31 (day 2). Other night trains are available and times vary, so check times
for your date using
www.bahn.de/en or
www.poezda.net.
2-berth and 4-berth sleepers are available.

Alternatively, you might consider the cheaper but slightly longer Kiev-London
journey via Prague & Brussels, which can all be booked online,
see details on the London to Ukraine page.
Well worth considering.

There are several other routes worth considering, especially if
you want to stop off on the way in Scandinavia, the Baltic States
or Ukraine, or to avoid travelling through Belarus and so avoid the
cost and hassle of getting a Belarus transit visa (although this
isn't really a problem, just an expense and a bit of extra
bureaucracy). All these routes take at least 3 nights
compared with just 2 nights travelling on the direct route
through Belarus, so the cost of an extra day or two's food and
accommodation must be set against the cost of the Belarus visa
for travel on a direct train to Moscow. These alternative
routes tend to involve a bit more legwork to book, too. If
you simply want to avoid Belarus, the quickest and easiest way to
do this is really to head south via Kiev & Ukraine,
see the section above.
You might not be saving much money by avoiding Belarus, but the
opportunity to stop off in some fascinating places and countries
makes these alternative routes worth considering.

London to Moscow via Warsaw, Vilnius & the Baltic States...

You can travel from London to
Moscow via the Baltic states, avoiding Belarus, although this
will take at least 2 nights longer than taking a direct train
through Belarus. The simplest route was
London-Warsaw-Vilnius-St Petersburg and then on to Moscow,
see the London to St Petersburg section below.
It avoided Belarus and gave you a day in Warsaw and a day in Vilnius.
However, there are currently few or no trains between Warsaw and Vilnius so this
route may involve a long all-day bus journey over this section. Now the
Vilnius-St Petersburg train has been discontinued, making this route impractical
unless you route via Riga as well.

If you want to add Riga to your itinerary,
you can travel from Vilnius to Riga by bus (www.eurolines.lv)
or occasional train (see the
Lithuania page), then take the daily overnight sleeper train from Riga to
Moscow or Riga to St Petersburg, neither of which pass through Belarus.
These are still running, for now at least.

If you want to add Tallinn as well, take a
bus or train onwards from Riga to Tallinn then the overnight train from
Tallinn to Moscow which also by-passes Belarus,
see the
Trains from Estonia page.

The
online booking form
below will give you train times for Vilnius-Moscow
(although this train passes through Belarus), Vilnius-St Petersburg (this
train doesn't pass through Belarus but may no longer be running), Vilnius-Riga, Riga-Moscow, Riga-St
Petersburg & Tallinn-St Petersburg-Moscow trains (none of which pass through Belarus) and let you buy tickets for these trains
online, with tickets couriered to any UK or an EU address for
around £12 to £20.

London to Moscow via Copenhagen, Stockholm & Helsinki...

This is slower than the direct route, taking at
least 3 nights to Moscow, though potentially only 2 nights to St Petersburg so
not a bad option at all if you're heading there. It avoids Belarus and
lets you see a lot of Scandinavia on the way.

Travel from London to Hamburg
by Eurostar & connecting trans on day 1 and stay overnight in Hamburg.
On day 2, travel from Hamburg to Stockholm by train and stay overnight in
Stockholm. Day 3, travel on the daytime ferry from Stockholm to Turku
and connecting train to Helsinki. Or spend a day in Stockholm and take
the direct Stockholm to Helsinki overnight ferry.
All this is explained in detail on the
London to Finland page.

London to Moscow via Copenhagen, Stockholm & Riga...

Another
possibility is travelling from London to Copenhagen and on to Stockholm,
then taking the overnight ferry to Riga.
Direct sleeper trains then link Riga to
both Moscow & St Petersburg, neither of which pass through
Belarus.

For full details of both the journey from London
to Riga and the onward trains to Moscow & St Petersburg, see the
London to Latvia
page.

There are several good ways to travel from the UK to St
Petersburg by train:

Option 1:
London to Moscow then Moscow to St Petersburg. Recommended. This is
the fastest & most frequent option as it runs daily and can take
as little as 2 nights if you take a daytime train to St
Petersburg the same day you arrive in Moscow. However, you
can stop off in Moscow for however long you want, as the
Moscow-St Petersburg leg is ticketed separately. It goes
via Belarus, so you'll need a Belarus visa as well as a Russian
one.

Other options... You could
travel to Copenhagen, then Stockholm, take an overnight cruise
ferry to either Tallinn or Helsinki, then a train to St
Petersburg or Moscow. Slower & more complex, but much to
see on the way, a holiday in itself.

Introduced in December 2009,
the Sapsan (Peregrine
Falcon) 250 km/h high-speed
trains link
Moscow & St Petersburg in just 3 hours 55 minutes.
The initial 3 services a day have now been increased to 5 trains each way
every day. The Sapsans have been very successful, with
a 99% on-time performance and an average load factor of 80%
(meaning each departure is on average 80% full). Built
by Siemens and based
on the superb German
ICE, they are set to revolutionise travel between Russia's
two prime cities, with additional services and faster journey
times to come as the line is progressively upgraded.
See the Russian railways' Sapsan video.

Traveller Ian
Newberry reports: "I travelled from Moscow
to St Petersburg on Sapsan train 156 leaving at 13:00.
Departure was punctual and the staff greeting passengers could
not have been better - they all speak English as well as
Russian. The service on the train was extremely good and
in business class a full 3 course meal was served with wines
and spirits all included in the price of the ticket.
Information was supplied through screens and announcements in
English as well as Russian. The train is very comfortable and
arrived 5 minutes ahead of schedule at 17.40. If one
wants to avoid a night train then this is a very civilised way
to travel, on a par with any equivalent TGV or ICE available
in western Europe."

Overnight
sleeper trains from Moscow to St Petersburg...

The best Russian Railways
overnight train is the famous Krasnaya Strela (Red Arrow) leaving
Moscow (Leningradski Vokzal) at 23:55 daily, arriving in St
Petersburg (Moskovski Vokzal) at 07:55 next morning. The Krasnaya Strela has 2-berth and 4-berth sleeping cars plus two
luxury sleeping-cars with 1 & 2-bed rooms with private toilet
shower and TV/DVD entertainment.
The fare is about 3,280 rubles (£70 or $110) in a kupι 4-berth
sleeper, 5,895 rubles (£126 or $197) spalny vagon 2-berth
sleeper or 16,250 rubles (£551 or $865) luxury sleeper with private shower and
toilet - although there are less swish, cheaper sleeper trains. The Krasnaya Strela has now been joined
by a couple of other premium sleeper trains, train 3/4 Ekspres and train
5/6 Nicholaevsky Express. Since 2005, there's
also a privately-run luxury train, the Grand Express, with
fares from 3,700 rubles.
Click for information &
online booking for the Grand Express.

A first class 2-berth sleeper on the Krasnaya Strela
between Moscow & St Petersburg. Photo courtesy of
Chris Sparks

Travel from London to Stockholm
by train, taking Eurostar & connecting trains from London to Hamburg on day 1,
staying in Hamburg overnight, then taking trains from Hamburg to Stockholm on
day 2. See the
London to Sweden page for full details of train
times, prices and how to buy tickets.

Spend the
night in Stockholm, find a hotel here.
Spend most of the following day free in Stockholm.

A new
ferry company, St Peter Line (www.stpeterline.com),
sails twice a week from Stockholm via Tallinn to St Petersburg using
a luxurious cruise ferry. She sails at 19:00
on various dates, arriving St Petersburg at 09:30 two
nights later, with a day to explore in Tallinn on the
way. The return trip also takes 2 nights, with a
day spent exploring Helsinki included. See
www.stpeterline.com to check sailing schedule and
prices. Other ferries on this route seem to have
started up and been discontinued soon afterwards, it's
hoped that this one will survive a bit longer!

The direct Belarusian
sleeping-cars from Amsterdam & Cologne to Minsk were discontinued in December
2013. However, it's still easy to get there via Warsaw or using the
Paris-Moscow express.

Option 1, via Brussels, Cologne
& Warsaw

This is the cheapest option, and
it runs daily.

London ► Minsk

Day 1:
Travel from London to Berlin by
Eurostar to Brussels,
ICE or
Thalys to
Cologne and ICE
train to Berlin, using any of the several daytime
options shown on the
London to Germany page. For example, you can
leave London St Pancras at 10:58,
arriving
Berlin
Hbf at 21:06.

Day 2: Travel from Berlin to Warsaw
by EuroCity
train,
leaving
Berlin
Hbf at 09:37 and arriving
Warsaw Centralna at
16:15. The Berlin-Warsaw
EuroCity trains are comfortable air-conditioned
trains with a trolley refreshment service and a
restaurant car serving drinks, snacks and full meals. Treat yourself to a
meal in the restaurant: Three courses, a beer and a coffee only come to
around 11. If you'd like more time to explore Warsaw, there's also an
06:37 from Berlin daily except Sundays, arriving
Warsaw Centralna at 12:55.

Day 3, travel from Warsaw to Minsk, leaving
Warsaw Centralna
at 08:50, changing at Brest (arrive 14:39, depart 15:15) and arriving Minsk at
18:49. 2nd class only. If you'd like a day in Warsaw, three times a
week you can leave
Warsaw Centralna at
16:25
on the Moscow-bound Polonez (see the photos above)
arriving Minsk at 04:15, with comfortable modern 1, 2 & 4 bed sleepers.

Minsk
► London

Day 1:
Travel from Minsk to Warsaw by train, leaving Minsk at 10:57, changing at Brest
(arrive 14:31, depart 15:23 and arriving in
Warsaw Centralna at
17:20. 2nd class only. Alternatively, 3 days a week you can leave Minsk at
00:35 on the Moscow-Warsaw
Polonez (see the photos above) arriving Warsaw
Centralna at 07:20, with comfortable modern 1, 2 & 4 bed sleepers.

The
Warsaw-Berlin EuroCity trainis a comfortable
air-conditioned train with trolley refreshment service and a restaurant car serving
drinks, snacks and full meals. Treat yourself to a
meal in the restaurant: Three courses, a beer and
a coffee only come to around 11.

Day 3:
Travel from Berlin to London by ICE train to Cologne,
ICE or Thalys train to Brussels and
Eurostar to London, using any of the several daytime
options shown on the
London to Germany page. For example, you can
leave
Berlin
Hbf at 06:50 arriving London at
16:05 or you can
leave Berlin at 10:50 arriving London St Pancras at
19:57 (21:33 on Saturdays). It's up to you.

How much does it cost?

1. London to Berlin

by Eurostar + ICE

From 69.90 in 2nd class or
129.90 first class with a sparpreis London ticket.

2. Berlin to Warsaw

by EuroCity train

Fares from 29.90 in 2nd class
or 49.90 first class with a sparpreis Poland

Option 2, using the
Paris-Moscow express...

This costs a bit more, but is a
very comfortable journey using the excellent
Paris-Moscow express
which calls at Minsk on the way. There are comfortable
sleepers direct from Paris to Minsk, with restaurant car Paris-Warsaw. It
runs once a week.

Which tickets
can Real Russia sell?They sell
tickets for any mainline train journey within
Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus,
Lithuania, Kazakhstan and the other ex-Soviet
states, also for international journeys
to or from those countries, for
example Moscow to Berlin or St Petersburg to
Helsinki, and also for Russian sleeping-car services within Europe, for example
Paris-Moscow, Paris-Berlin or Budapest-Sofia.

Reservations officially open 60
days before departure, but Real Russia allow you to
request tickets up to 180 days ahead and they will
contact you for payment when the price is confirmed.

Can
anyone buy tickets using this system? Yes,
you can buy tickets online with a credit card
whether you live in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia,
or wherever.

How
are tickets delivered? If your train is e-ticketable, an e-ticket
will be emailed to you. If it's not, tickets can be
collected free of charge at Real Russia's offices in
Moscow or St Petersburg or they can be sent to any address worldwide.
Postage to a UK or
EU address costs around £12-£15.

Who run this
service?Is it reliable?This
service is provided by Real Russia, a reputable
joint UK-Russian company which has got good reports
from users. Real Russia can also sort out your
Russian visa.

Booking tips: Look for a train marked 'Firm'
if there is one. 'Firmeny' trains are the best
'quality' trains, with modern coaches and good
on-board service. 'TBC' means the system
cannot provide a price for that particular train
automatically, but they'll contact you with a cost
by phone or email.

Is
it cheaper to buy at the ticket office?Real Russia charge the Russian Railways fare
plus a mark-up to cover their costs (all
agencies charge a mark-up).
There's a 2.5% charge for credit card payments,
but you can easily avoid this by calling their UK office
to pay by debit card when your tickets are
confirmed. The fares shown include the
mark-up, but not the credit card charge. By
all means buy tickets at the ticket office if you're
flexible, but Russian trains can get fully-booked so
it's good to pre-book if you want a specific date
and train. Russian Railways now offer online
booking but it's more fiddly.

To visit Russia, you'll
need a Russian tourist visa. You may also need a
Belarus transit visa if you're using the direct rail route from Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Warsaw,
Budapest or Vienna
to Moscow as this passes though Belarus.

How to arrange a Russian visa...

Always check
the latest visa information, as it changes from time to
time, but here's a quick run-down of the
arrangements:

Tourist, transit or business visa? A tourist
visa allows stays of up to 30 days, and is usually what you
need. A business visa allows a longer stay, but is more
expensive. A transit visa allows up to 10 days in
transit, but you aren't allowed to spend time in Moscow, as
most Trans-Siberian travellers do, so a tourist visa is
usually better.

When to
apply? Visas are only issued 3 months or less
before your intended date of entry to Russia, so there's no need to
apply before then. Ideally, allow a month for the
visa processing, but if you have less time than this,
don't panic, various agencies offer 'express' services that will help you get a visa
much quicker.

Letters of invitation & visa support: A hangover
from Soviet times is that to get a visa you need supporting documentation,
usually just called 'visa support'. In theory, this is a
letter of invitation from your travel agency setting out
confirmed travel & accommodation arrangements for your entire
stay in Russia or (for
independent travellers) an accommodation voucher issued by your hotel(s)
showing confirmed accommodation for each and every night you plan to spend in Russia.
Having to pre-book all this would be ridiculously restrictive, so here's how it really works: You go to an agency such as
www.realrussia.co.uk or one of the Russian agencies listed
above and they sell you the necessary visa support for a small
fee, which allows you to get a visa without any genuine hotel
bookings, so you can travel around freely just as you would in
any other country, buying tickets and finding hotels as you
go. Behind the scenes, the agency usually has an arrangement with a local
hotel, they make a dummy 'reservation' for the period you want
to be in Russia
so they can legally issue the visa support,
though of course you don't pay for the hotel and everyone knows
(apart from the Russian government) that you have no intention
of ever using that hotel room. Crazy, eh?

The easy way to get a Russian visa:
UK residents can use
www.realrussia.co.uk for a complete Russian visa
service, this is the easiest & least-hassle way to sort your
visa (to use their service, you need to resident in the UK for over 90 days before the
application). The total
cost of obtaining a tourist visa through Real Russia is £128
or so including the necessary visa support
and the actual cost of the visa. Real Russia is a reliable UK agency
based in Russia which
arranges Russian, Belarus, Mongolian and Chinese
visas simply and
easily, with all
the necessary legwork and visa support done for you.
They can arrange train tickets too. They have
been recommended by several seat61 correspondents.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through
www.realrussia.co.uk. If you have feedback on their service, please email me.
US residents can use a similar US-based service,
www.russia-travel.com.

Alternatively, the do-it-yourself way to get a visa:
You can of course arrange a visa yourself. The Russian
embassy in London (www.rusemb.org.uk)
has outsourced visa issuing to a UK company called VFS Global,
so go to
http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk and follow the visa application instructions. Unlike Real Russia, they won't provide the
necessary visa support for you, you'll have to get it separately and
provide it to them. If you're going on an organised
tour, your tour company may provide visa support documentation
free of charge, but if you're travelling independently, this
usually means paying a local Russian travel agency to provide
you with a suitable visa support document, so this way isn't
necessarily much cheaper than using
www.realrussia.co.uk.

Get your dates of entry & exit right! It should be obvious, but I've known people date
their visa for the date they arrive in Moscow, then get thrown
off their sleeper train when it arrives at the Russian
frontier the night before, as their visa wasn't valid for
entering Russia until the next day. Your date of entry
into Russia is the date you physically enter Russian
territory, in other words the date your train rolls across
the frontier, not the date you reach Moscow, which is
irrelevant. Similarly, your date of exit is the date you
physically leave Russian territory, which on a westbound
sleeper train could be the day after you leave Moscow.
Double-check train times to see when it reaches the frontier,
and double-check that the embassy have given you the right
dates when you get your passport back with the visa.

FINGERPRINTING: You now need to go in person to collect your visa...
Whether you go it alone or use Real Russia to apply for
your Russian visa, as of late 2014 you will need to make an appointment to go in
person to the consulate to collect your visa and have your fingerprints taken.
This is a tit-for-tat move by the Russians, as the British Home Office now
require all Russians to go to the Moscow embassy to obtain a visa, even if they
live in Vladivostok.

No problems
have been reported by any westerners using the direct Russian Railways trains
from Paris, Nice, Vienna, Berlin, Prague or Warsaw to Moscow via Belarus in 2017, 2018
or 2019, in spite of what you may have read elsewhere online.

As long as you have a
Russian visa and a Belarus transit visa, travel from Western or Central
Europe to Moscow on a direct Russian Railways international train seems
fine, even if it crosses Belarus. The problem only arises if you want
to START a train journey in Belarus to travel to Russia.

Since 2016
there has been some concern about entering Russia via Belarus, to do with the
Belarus-Russia customs union and the lack of border formalities between the two
countries - though of course Brest-Minsk-Moscow has been the perfectly normal
mainline rail route for international travellers for over 100 years.

It seems
that the Russians are fine with people entering Russia on these direct Russian
trains via Brest on the Polish/Belarus border as Moscow-bound passengers appear
to have their Russian visas checked here. Many people use these trains every
week, but I have so far had no reports whatsoever of anyone on these trains
having any problem. And I have had various positive confirmations that people
have used these trains without a problem in 2016 and 2017 and now too in 2018. Polrail.com haven't heard from anyone who's had any problem using these
international trains either, and nor have Real Russia.

When leaving Russia,
travellers report that they simply showed the Belarus entry stamp that they
received at Brest when they entered to the Belarus-Russia unified customs area,
and that seems to satisfy the Russian border staff when you leave Russia.

On the other hand, you cannot
start a journey in Belarus and go
to Russia, as there's nowhere to check visas in between Minsk and Moscow. Real
Russia tell me they had reports of people being taken off Minsk-Moscow trans and
sent back to Minsk even with valid Russian visas - but so far, they tell me
they've had reports from anyone having problems on the Russian-run international
trains from Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna or Prague to Moscow via Brest.

By all
means check the latest advice at http://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/belarus,
although at the time I write this it simply refers you to your travel provider. I suppose I should add the disclaimer
that I can only
report what I hear from travel companies and travellers, and you travel at your
own risk - but read the traveller's feedback below, it seems pretty
conclusive!

A traveller in 2018 reports from a
trouble-free journey on the Berlin to Moscow train:

"Our journey was without incident: no
expression of surprise by the car attendants when we boarded in Berlin and
showed our passports, landing cards were distributed without comment on board by
other car attendants, no reaction of any sort by the Polish (exit) or Belarus
(entry) border guards. The landing card, which you fill out on board, has space
for both Belarus and Russian visa numbers. There was no customs or immigration
control at the Belarus/Russian border, just a couple of Russian border guards on
the Orscha (Belarus border) station platform, but they did nothing to check the
train. Now, by itself, this proves little, as maybe border guards could,
theoretically, spot check the train. But I tried to ask the train manager, who
spoke modest German (as do I), and he said that the restriction only applied to
passengers boarding within Belarus (so in Brest or Minsk) and that passengers
coming through on direct trains from Poland or points west were 'not concerned',
but did need to have both visas."

Another traveller reports
from January 2019:

"As I expected and hoped,
the Berlin-Moscow train journey itself went without a single problem.
Crossing the border between Poland and Belarus was an easy process, with
border guards quickly checking passports and visas, barely gazing into the
train compartments. To enter Belarus or Russia, you need to fill in a
migration card (one gets it on the train, the conductor explains how to fill
it in), which is then stamped at the Poland-Belarus border and checked again
once you leave Belarus (if you travel back via Belarus, that is). It is
important to keep this document with you during your stay in Russia because
hotels require it for check in and registration of your Russian visa."

If you travel to Russia via the main line through Belarus, or
get a Russian visa for travel this way, feedback would be appreciated, even
(especially!) if it's to say that you had no problem.

You'll need a
Belarus transit visa if you are travelling between London
&
Moscow on the direct
London-Cologne-Berlin-Warsaw-Moscow route, as the
direct trains from Paris, Berlin or Warsaw to Moscow or
St Petersburg pass through Belarus. However, getting
a Belarus transit visa is relatively straightforward. You'll need a tourist
visa if you plan to stop off in Belarus.

You will need
to get your Russian visa before applying for the Belarus
one, although you can apply for both together if you go
through
www.realrussia.co.uk.

Cost: A Belarus transit visa
costs 60 if you arrange it yourself direct with the
embassy, or £81 arranged through
www.realrussia.co.uk. It takes 6 working days, or there's an extra-fee
express option which takes 2 days.

For official visa information see
the Belarus embassy website, http://uk.mfa.gov.by
or call 020 7938 3677.
The embassy
address in London is 6 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL

,
visa section open 09:30-12:30 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday &
Friday.

The simple way to get a Belarus transit visa: If you live in the UK,
the easiest and quickest way to get a Belarus visa is to use
www.realrussia.co.uk. Real Russia is a reliable UK agency which
arranges visas simply and
cheaply, including all
necessary visa support included in the price shown on their
site. They have already recommended by one seat61 correspondent.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through
www.realrussia.co.uk using this link.
www.realrussia.co.uk can also arrange Chinese and Mongolian visas,
and train tickets too. If you have feedback on their service, please email me!

Should you avoid Belarus? Some people
get worked up about trying to avoid Belarus, and with the visa fees you might want
to try. Just remember that if you pay the visa fee,
you can travel quickly and simply from western Europe to
Moscow on a direct train through Belarus saving time and
expense.
Avoiding Belarus by travelling via the Baltic states means an awkward and time-consuming relay
race of trains and buses, taking at
least 48 hours longer, with two extra hotel nights.
Going via Ukraine (Ukraine no longer requires EU citizens
to buy a visa) is quicker, but will still take at least an extra 24 hours,
changing trains in Kiev and with no easy way to pre-book
the Kiev-Moscow train before you get to Kiev. In other words, the detour might be
interesting if you have the time and particularly want to
see Ukraine or Lithuania/Latvia on the way, but it will
take longer and in the end cost more than simply buying
the visa and travelling direct. To avoid Belarus by
going via Ukraine, see above.

Getting a Belarus transit visa in Moscow:
If you're travelling westbound and want to arrange a Belarus
visa in Moscow, here's how. The Belarus embassy is at Maroseika 17⁄6, 101990, Moscow,
a couple of
blocks from Kitai Gorod or Lubyanka metro stations. To
get to the visa office, go through wrought iron gates on the
left-hand side of the main embassy building and the visa
office is on the left. You'll
need photocopies of your passport, your Russian visa & your
train ticket through Belarus, one passport photo, US$45 for same day visa issue or US$36 for
next day visa issue (for British & EU citizens), payable in
Russian rubles (US dollars no ,longer required or accepted). The visa office is open 10:00-12:00
Mon, Tue, Thur & Fri (allow plenty of time) and you pick up
your passport and transit visa between 16:00-16:30 on those
days. US passport holders are currently
charged $177 for a same-day visa, because of charges imposed
by the USA on Belarussians. One traveller reports:
"You should plan to get there before 10.00 am. I was there
at about 10.20 am and I was processed at 11.55 am. I paid
1,630 rubbles for same day service. I returned at 16.00 to
collect my processed transit visa, so from start to finish
it takes almost as much time as you spend travelling through
Belarus. In spite of the frustration of the obstacle course
just to get on the train, the trip itself was most
enjoyable". Visa regs & costs change
from time to time, the above is current at the time of
writing. There's also a Belarus
consulate in St Petersburg.

Tailor-made
holidays to Russia by train! Specialist travel company
www.railbookers.co.uk
can tailor-make a flight-free holiday to Russia for you, with train travel &
hotels, for however long you like, leaving on any date you like. Tell them
what you want and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and
sort it all out for you. They get a lot of repeat business! Give them a call...

European Rail Timetable & maps

The
European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European
Timetable)
has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus
currency & climate information. It is essential
for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for
armchair travellers. Published since 1873, it had just
celebrated 140 years of publication when Thomas Cook decided
to pull the plug on their entire publishing department, but
the dedicated
ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and resumed publication of the
famous European Rail
Timetable in March 2014. You can buy it online with worldwide shipping
at
either
www.stanfords.co.uk or
www.europeanrailtimetable.eu.
More information
on what the European Rail Timetable contains.

A Traveller's Railway Map of
Europe covers the whole of Europe from
Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north
to Sicily & Athens in the south. On the back are detailed maps of
Switzerland, Benelux & Germany, plus city plans showing stations in
major cities. Scenic & high-speed routes highlighted.
Buy it online for £14.50 + postage worldwide (UK addresses £2.80) at
www.stanfords.co.uk/Continents/Europe-A-Travellers-Railway-Map_9789077899090.htm
or (in the Netherlands) for 13 + 5.50 postage from
www.treinreiswinkel.nl.

Definitely take a good guidebook,
and a phrasebook may be a good idea too. I think the Lonely Planets
and Rough Guides are about the best out there for the
independent traveller, and you will not regret buying one!
My own book, an essential handbook for train travel to Europe
based on this website called "The
Man in Seat 61", was published in June 2008, and is available
from Amazon.co.uk with shipping worldwide.

www.hotelscombined.com
checks all the main hotel booking sites at once to find the widest choice of
hotels & the cheapest seller. It's been named as the World's Leading Hotel
Comparison Site in the World Travel Awards and I recommend it
to find hotels in even the smallest places and to check that another retailer
isn't selling the same hotel for less.

www.booking.com
is my favourite hotel booking site, and unless HotelsCombined throws up major price
differences I prefer doing my bookings in one place here.

You can usually book with free
cancellation - this allows you to confirm your accommodation at no risk before train
booking opens. It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise
your itinerary, and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all
the time when putting a trip together.

Tripadvisor hotel reviews...

www.tripadvisor.com is a good place
to find independent travellers' reviews of the main hotels.
It also has the low-down on all the sights & attractions too.

If you're on a tight budget,
don't forget about the hostels. For backpacker hostels
in Amsterdam and most other European cities at budget prices
(either a dorm bed or an ultra cheap private room) see
www.hostelworld.com.

Travel insurance & heald

Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without proper travel insurance from a reliable insurer
with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover
loss of cash & belongings (up to a limit), and trip cancellation. An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year - I have an annual policy myself.
However, don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed
connection, see
the advice on missed connections here. Here are some suggested insurers,
Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these
links, and feedback from using
insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

In
the UK, use
www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across
major insurance companies.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see
www.JustTravelCover.com
- 10% discount with code seat61.

Get an
EU health card, it's free...

If you're a
UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free
European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or
reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in
many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with
the NHS. This replaced the old E111 forms
as from January 2006.
The EHIC card is available from ww.nhs.uk. It doesn't remove the need for
travel insurance, though.

Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you
won't be left stranded if
your wallet gets stolen. In addition,
some credit cards are better for
overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's
www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money
explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency
exchange commission loadings when you buy something
overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use
an ATM abroad.

When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be
secure. A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always
secure, even using unsecured WiFi. In countries such as China where access
to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions.
And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse
with, to get around geographic restrictions which some websites apply - for
example one booking site charges a booking fee to non-European visitors but none
to European visitors, so if you're not located in Europe you can avoid this fee
by browsing with a UK IP address using a VPN.
VPNs & why you need one explained.
ExpressVPN
is a best buy and I use them myself.